Eleven Minutes
by samurai-ashes
Summary: A lot can happen in eleven minutes: a heart can break or mend, a decision can change a life, and a man could live or die. [HondaxOtogi]
1. 8:59 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh. Not in any way, shape, or form. Pity, isn't it? ^^_**

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**- a quick but sorta long bit of notes... -**  
So I got this idea from my mom, but we don't need to tell her that. ^^;; Anyway, we were watching football, and she made the comment, "Hey, a lot can happen in eleven minutes." That immediately got me thinking: exactly how much could happen in eleven minutes? (more on this later) 

This is actually an extended one-shot more than a mutli-chaptered fic, lol. Seriously; the chapters are short as hell, which is why the whole thing is posted at once. ^^ I actually sat down and sort of timed the dialogue for each chapter to see if it was about right for a minute – hopefully it'll all work out. ^^ 

On Honda… he's really emotional in this story, lol. 

Great love to Hanachan, who helped me with some of the … ahem, laws of physics for 9:05. I needed it. ^^ And Otogi's line at the end of 9:09. 

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**8:59 PM**

Otogi was sitting on the couch, just inches from Honda. Normally Honda would have been happy about that, would have taken a guilty pleasure from the nearness, but at that moment… it was torturous. That was the sort of thing that happened when one of your friends shot you down. 

It had been a week – last weekend; the whole group had been at the theater, and Honda had mustered up all his courage and hit on Otogi, asked him if there was something he'd rather do than watch a movie. Otogi had floundered a bit before finally look at him and saying, "Honda… No." Not exactly what he had been expecting; there had always been so much sexual tension between them that he figured they might as well have been in bed together. 

He had easily avoided Otogi at school, but it was the weekend; they were watching football at Jou's place. After the game everyone intended to at Yuugi's. Honda didn't know the plan after that. Honestly, he wanted to go home… and maybe wallow. He was pretty good at that. 

But he was sitting beside Otogi, and he hated it. Wished he could hate Otogi. 

"Touchdown!" Otogi shouted, tackling Jou. "We **own** your ass – you don't have a chance in hell! Give it up; let's just go over to Yuugi's house now." 

"No way!" Jou protested, shoving Otogi off; his back hit Honda, and Otogi flashed him a devastatingly handsome grin. 

"You agree with me, right? There's no way his team is coming back." 

Honda shrugged. "You never know – I've seen teams pull a game out of their ass in the last two minutes," he said passively, as though there was nothing on his mind. 

"Right!" Jou agreed triumphantly. "And we have **eleven** minutes! Count 'em: e-le-ven! That's five and a half games we could pull out of our ass!" Honda snickered. Jou never was entirely logical when he got competitive. Jou jumped off the couch, headed into the kitchen. "You guys want anything?" 

"We'll be eating at Yuugi's house, you know that," Honda called out. 

"And you're still gonna lose this game!" Otogi added. 

"A lot can happen in eleven minutes," Jou argued, returning with a bag of chips. "I refuse to move from this spot again until every second of this game is over." 

Otogi rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm not wasting my time. Honda and I are headed to Yuugi's house; we'll meet you there." 

"We are?" Honda asked with a raised eyebrow. _No, I don't want to be in a car alone with you, but thanks for asking. _

"Yep," Otogi said, yanking him up by his arm and dragging him through living room. "See you in eleven minutes, loser!" 

"Suck my dick," Jou responded amiably, stuffing some chips in his mouth. Otogi shook his head and dragged Honda out of the apartment. 

"I can walk without your help," he protested, prying off Otogi's fingers. Otogi didn't answer, and they left the apartment building in silence. 


	2. 9:00 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh, or the song "Kick Drum", which makes a quick cameo here. ^^_**

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**9:00 PM**

Otogi's car was by the door, and he smiled at it. "Hey, babe, I missed you." 

Honda blinked. "You missed your car?" 

"Hell yea; she's my girl," Otogi purred opening the driver's side door and climbing it. Honda followed suit, putting on his seatbelt and staring out the windshield. Yea. Otogi's girl – that could explain a lot right there. 

Girls. 

Honda never had been very girly. Well, unless he counted the number of times Jou told him that he fought like a girl, but they had been wrestling then, so he didn't think too much of it. It hadn't even occurred to him that Otogi might have preferred girls… he was just so girly himself sometimes. Especially when it came to getting dirty; he may have talked a lot of shit, but he could be as prissy as Mai some days. Actually, those two might have gotten on well… 

The car came to life, and Otogi grinned. He reached for his CDs, flipping through them carefully, looking for something. "Oh!" he said happily, taking out a homemade CD and putting it in. A song started – a mellow song. "What kind of music do you like?" 

Honda shrugged. "I don't listen to music much; it doesn't matter to me." 

"Pity," Otogi added. "So what's the plan for Yuugi's house anyway?" 

"I don't know." 

The air was thick between them, uncomfortable despite the banter. Otogi looked around before pulling out of the parking lot. "So I haven't seen you all week – been okay?" 

_Do you give a damn?_ Honda shrugged again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that. "No different than any other week, I suppose." 

"Ah. Shit, listen to this; it's a good song." The beat was rhythmic, even a bit repetitive. It might have been soothing if not for the innuendo of the words themselves… and the fact that Otogi was singing along merrily, smile on his face. "C'mon and gimme some, why don't you c'mon and gimme some?" He had a nice singing voice. 

But all Honda could think to do was smile sarcastically and respond bitterly, "Because you said no." 


	3. 9:01 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:01 PM**

Any discomfort that had filled the car increased ten-fold; even the mellow mood of the song didn't pierce the awkwardness. Maybe if things had been a little more comfortable between them, Honda would have thought twice before mentioning it at all… but the way he saw it, it wasn't like he had anything to lose. 

Finally Otogi spoke. "You can't really be mad about that, can you?" 

"Oh no," Honda replied sarcastically, "I like getting my emotions stomped on; it's something of a hobby. This weekend I hope Jou'll give it a try." 

There was a silence – must have stretched on for a good ten seconds. The song was still playing. "I had a hell of a nightmare last night," Otogi said, and to Honda it seemed like he was changing the subject. _Whatever._

"What was it about?" he asked roughly. 

"You." 

How sweet. "Gee, I'm honored," he growled. "Am I that scary?" 

"We were in my apartment… We were watching TV, and I was sitting in your lap. It was domestic; the whole time you were just sitting there holding me. You never once touched me, or did… anything else." 

"Sounds horrible." There was no end to the sarcasm Honda was capable off. Bitterness, anger, whatever. There was something distinctly painfully about Otogi's nightmare. 

"It was." 

"Why is that a nightmare?" Honda demanded. 

Otogi laughed ruefully. "Because I woke up with a hard-on. I've never reacted like that to something so… simple." 

Either Honda was imagining it, or Otogi had just started driving faster. 


	4. 9:02 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:02 PM**

Honda considered that for a second. That still didn't found like much of a nightmare to him; he usually didn't complain about dreams that made him horny unless he was sharing a room with someone. "Getting off scares you?" 

"Only when it's about something that simple." 

"You think that's simple?" Honda grinned, but he wasn't amused. "I once jerked off listening to you talk on the phone." 

Otogi stopped at a red light and looked over at Honda. "Was I being sexy?" 

"No. You were explaining science." 

There was a small laugh, an amused laugh. It was probably the first time that either of them had sounded genuinely amused, and Honda wasn't sure if he liked it being directed at him. "So things like ions and acids turn you on?" 

Honda shook his head and leaned back in his seat, propping his feet up on the dashboard. "No," he answered lazily. "I just like the sound of your voice." 

The red light turned green, and Honda realized how quickly Otogi took off – it had to be above the speed limit. There was more silence between them, and he wondered what Otogi was thinking. Then again, what exactly was a person supposed to be thinking when their friend admitted something that strange? 

"Why?" 

The question came out of nowhere, and Honda had to mull over it. He finally said, "If I knew that, we probably wouldn't have this problem." 

There was no pause. "What problem?" 

Honda wasn't quite sure he wanted to say it… it was a lot to say, especially to the guy that turned him down. But what the hell, if their friendship wasn't screwed up by his phone admission, then his next words would be nothing. "This unrequited love thing." 

Otogi's mouth formed around the word 'love', but he was silent. 

The car sped up. 


	5. 9:03 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:03 PM**

"Look, I don't do monogamy. It just doesn't work; I have never been with anyone without cheating on them. It's just how things happen: meet someone, want them, have them, leave them for someone else. Somehow, I don't think you'd be happy if I went to someone else's bed after leaving yours." 

What would that make Honda: the conquest or the illicit lover? He thought about Otogi's words, his confession… and wondered what it was suppose to mean. The music had changed; it was something with a more frantic beat, but from what Honda was catching of the words, they were just as erotic. He had to say something, and he knew it. "At least you have enough common sense to realize that." 

"See?" Otogi turned up the radio, as though he was trying to end the conversation by blocking Honda's ability to reply. Honda turned it down again. "Get your feet of my dashboard," Otogi ordered. 

And now he was changing the subject. Well he was crazy if he thought Honda was going to allow that. "And what is so wrong with monogamy? You dream about it – you want it more than you'll admit." 

Otogi didn't talk, but the car skidded around a corner – too fast, too dangerous. It made Honda edgy. _Stop driving like some sort of bomb, like you're ready to go off._ But he didn't interrupt Otogi's silence, no matter how uncomfortable it was. "And if I fail you," he suddenly demanded heatedly, "then what? If I play your game and then lose, how do we deal with it? At least as friends that isn't an issue." 

Honda's voice was soft, sentimental when he spoke; he hadn't meant to sound so… gentle. "I don't think you will." 

But Otogi only scoffed. "Interesting." He turned another corner; the tires squealed in protest. "One of us has faith in me." 


	6. 9:04 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:04 PM**

"Damn it!" Honda shouted. "Give me a plain answer; forget the monogamy thing for now, forget every stupid thing you think you're so sure of. Just tell me… Do you want me or not?" 

"Yea, I do," Otogi answered without hesitation. "That much is obvious; you don't how many times Anzu has pulled me aside and told me to 'go for it'." He shook his head to himself and sighed. His eyes were fixed on the road. "If I thought I could be the kind of person I think you deserve, I would've never said no to you." 

Honda's heart stopped, and he just stared at Otogi. That was the most sentimental thing he had ever heard him say. It was the nicest. And it meant he had a chance. It made him smile, and his next words were filled with determination. "Then we're going to try again. Don't say no." 

"I will." 

"Don't." He was begging. He knew it. Otogi knew it. He only hoped that the pathetic gesture – so difference from the confidence he had been exuding – wasn't wasted. "Come home with me," he asked, and even though Otogi was driving he leaned over and brushed some of Otogi's damned trademark tendrils back away from his face, getting a little better look at his face in the dim streetlight that illuminated the car. He looked conflicted. 

"We have to meet Jou and – " 

"Fuck Jou; he'll get over it. Everyone will forgive us if we have a good reason for not showing up. Just turn around, head back to my place – your place, the train station, a dim alleyway, I don't give a damn – and we'll call them in the morning." 

The music changed again – something booming, dramatic… something that almost matched the anticipatory beating of Honda's heart. His fingertips lightly caressed Otogi's cheek, his thumb hesitantly brushing over his lips. Fuck, if Otogi hadn't been driving, Honda would have kissed him. He could only stare in awe as Otogi's lips moved over his thumb, tongue brushing over it gently. "Okay," Otogi finally conceded. "Your place." 


	7. 9:05 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:05 PM**

Otogi made a break-neck turn, and Honda took his hand back to grip the dashboard. "You drive like a maniac!" he finally shouted. He wanted had wanted to say that for a good five minutes. 

"We'll be fine," Otogi said, smiling. "Better than fine." 

Honda didn't know how it happened – the words had barely left Otogi's lips when the car jerked violently… in the wrong direction, off to the side. The first thing that made sense was Otogi yelling, "Shit!" There were squealing brakes, headlights, and the gut-wrenching sounds of metal hitting metal, and something else, something he couldn't identify that made his stomach wrench... Honda's body jerked painfully against his seat belt, and everything seemed to be going the wrong direction: him, the car, the environment outside the car… He couldn't quite wrap his mind around it; one second they had been driving, then… they were stopped. His chest was sore where the seat belt had dug into it. 

Car accident. It finally cleared in Honda's muddled head, and he shivered. Damn it, he had **just** warned Otogi that they were going too fast. He didn't move right away, gathering his nerves and calming a bit before he finally spoke. "You okay, man?" he asked, looking over at Otogi. No response. He was slumped against his side of the car, hands still resting limply on the steering wheel. "Hey, I'm talking to you," Honda said. "I warned you…" Still no response. Honda poked him. "Otogi?" He looked up. Otogi's head was resting against the glass, sort of like how a kid would sleep on a car trip. Only the glass around Otogi's head was cracked. 

_Cracked glass._ Honda's breath hitched. _Cracked glass by his head._ "Get up!" 

Otogi wasn't moving. 

_His head hit the glass. His stupid head cracked the glass. _

Honda panicked. 


	8. 9:06 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:06 PM**

Honda leaned closer, afraid to touch Otogi. What if by touching Otogi he made it worse…? Whatever 'it' was. Oh, god, what if it **couldn't** get worse, what if…? He leaned closer still – and nearly cried in relief. Otogi was breathing. He wasn't dead. No matter what else was wrong, he wasn't dead. "Jesus Christ, wake up!" he demanded. "Your skull is thicker than that!" His own breathing was more labored, and his hands were shaking. 

What the hell? Not even a couple of seconds before things had taken a turn for the better… and now Otogi was passed out… or worse? Honda's hands shook worse. He would wake up, right? 

He leaned in, leaned against Otogi's chest, listening to his heartbeat, listening to him inhale and exhale. Listening for proof that he was really alive, that it wasn't just Honda's imagination. He found one wrist, pulling it to his own chest and felt for a pulse. It was there. His skin was warm. 

_Calm down. He's not dead. He's not moving… he's not talking… but he's not dead._

Honda hated cars, he really did. Why did everyone he knew insist on driving like they were in some high-speed chase? Damn it, why had Otogi? Why then? He couldn't make himself relax, no matter how much he listened to Otogi breathe. He would have preferred to do so in a much happier situation. 

There were flashes of light outside the car – red, blue, red, blue, red… Honda closed his eyes against it, still clinging to Otogi's wrist. "Open your fucking eyes, Otogi." Begging again, even though he knew that no amount of begging would help. 

He heard the door behind him open, but he didn't look. 

Inhale. Exhale. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

Honda didn't care to hear anything else, even as a light shined into the car, and a gentle fatherly voice inquired, "Are you okay?" 


	9. 9:07 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:07 PM**

"Are you okay?" 

Honda didn't answer, didn't look. He was scared. What if he **did** answer, and in the moment he wasn't focused on Otogi's heartbeat, it stopped? Irrational fear or no, he wasn't willing to risk it. The voice persisted. "Sirs?" 

Finally Honda offered a shaky and barely audible, "I'm okay. I'm fine, but he… He's alive. He's not awake." He was still holding Otogi's hand to his chest, like a scared child clinging to a stuffed toy for security. In any other situation he would have felt foolish. He still didn't even know what had happened, how bad the damage was. All he knew was that Otogi wasn't responding to anything, and there was a man asking if he was okay. 

"Okay, there's an ambulance on the way. Can you leave the car?" Honda shook his head, eyes still closed tightly. "What's wrong?" The man's voice was filled with concern. Honda hadn't heard very many people who sounded like that when they were helping someone else. It was sort of soothing, and he calmed down a little. 

"I'm afraid." His voice was soft, and he felt like he was five. He would have to be embarrassed later. 

"It'll be okay," the voice soothed. "But we need you to get out so the paramedics will be able to help your friend." Honda shook his head again. 

Thump. Thump. Thump. 

Still alive. 

The man sighed, and his voice took on a different approach. "What's your name, son?" His voice wasn't harsh, but he wasn't addressing Honda like a child. It make Honda feel more his age, like he was being addressed by a father figure. 

He finally opened his eyes and looked at the police officer that was leaning a little into the car, shining a flashlight in at Honda. His voice shook, but he managed, "Honda Hiroto." 


	10. 9:08 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:08 PM**

"Okay, Hiroto – " 

Honda shook his head, and said, "Just Honda." He didn't want a complete stranger calling him that – it felt too weird. 

"Sorry. Honda. What's your friend's name?" 

Honda could see the ambulance coming down the street behind the police officer. He voice was a little firmer as he answered, "Otogi." 

The officer was writing things on a notepad, watching Honda carefully as though seeking some lie. "I need his full name." 

"Ryuuji. Otogi Ryuuji." Honda had never actually called Otogi that, and it was a bit of a blow that the first time he had to use the name was in such a situation. 

"Honda, you need to move so the paramedics can get to Mr. Otogi, okay?" 

Honda nodded and took a deep breath. 

Inhale. Exhale. 

Still breathing. Still alive. 

He sat up slowly, setting Otogi's hand on the seat. He was trembling as he made his way out of the car, and at first he couldn't bring himself to leave the car; he paused before the open door. The officer held a hand out to him, but he shook his head in refusal and hung his feet outside the door, standing. The second his feet touched the ground he crumpled; the officer caught him before he hit the ground. "Careful, now – we'll have someone look at you." 

"I'm fine," Honda protested weakly as the officer led him to the squad car. He sat in the back seat, door open, legs resting outside the car. He leaned heavily on his knees. From what he could see the other car had hit them near the back door on the driver's side. From that direction, the other driver had been going the wrong way down a one-way road. 

Paramedics were wheeling a stretcher to a second ambulance – one that Honda hadn't noticed. It was covered in a sheet. Someone had died. For a minute he panicked again, damn near hyperventilated. 

"Calm down, son," the officer said, patting his shoulder. "One of the other driver's companions is okay – she said that they'd been drinking." 

Honda didn't care. 

Paramedics were accosting Otogi's car, and he was afraid. He didn't want to see Otogi covered in a sheet. 

"Was this Mr. Otogi's car?" the officer asked. 

Honda nodded. 

"Does he have his license?" 

Honda nodded again. 

"Where were you headed?" 

"My house," Honda answered. "We just turned the corner, and…" The officer was nodding, writing Honda's words down. 

The paramedics were taking Otogi out of the car, onto a stretcher; Honda could see the rise and fall of his chest. He stood. "Hey, careful there," the officer warned, but Honda pushed away the concerned hands. 

His voice was the firmest it had been all night. "I'm going with him." 


	11. 9:09 PM

**_Ashes does not own yu-gi-oh._**

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**9:09 PM**

The paramedics let him in the ambulance… but it didn't matter; Honda wouldn't have taken no for an answer. He was sitting there, watching them do their thing, when Otogi's eyes fluttered open. Green eyes flitted around the ambulance, the paramedics, before settling on him. Otogi groaned softly. Honda managed and a weak smile and said, "You asshole. You scared me." 

Otogi didn't speak, but reached up to touch his head. He cringed, and moaned softly. The paramedics were talking to him, effectively pulling his attention away from Honda. 

Honda, who swore his heart had stopped the second Otogi looked at him. He smiled to himself; he knew that Otogi's head had been thick. 

"Sir, you need to stay awake. You might be tired, but you can't go to sleep," a woman was explaining, and Otogi just nodded. Honda scooted closer and turned to the woman talking. 

"He's going to be okay?" 

She nodded and smiled sympathetically at him. "He'll be fine; he just took a hit to the head." 

Otogi blinked up at him, and finally uttered one word. "Ow." 

The woman laughed. "I bet **that's** the understatement of the century." 

Honda was still shaking, and he reached out to find Otogi's hand. It was strangely intimate gesture, holding someone's hand in the ambulance. He spared another pathetically small smile. "I guess we're headed for the hospital instead of my place." 

Otogi looked pretty serious – or maybe was just dazed – and he managed a small nod, then cringed. 

Honda rolled his eyes. "Don't move, you idiot. Just stay awake." 

"Honda," Otogi said feebly. "I'm okay." He didn't sound okay; he sounded almost stoned. Maybe the paramedics were medicating him. "Thanks. Besides, I hear the hospitals have good beds." 

Honda smiled, hand still clutching Otogi's tightly. His eyes fell onto his watch, and his eyes opened wide in shock. It felt like it had been hours since they left Jou's house. 

Only eleven minutes had passed. 

**-end-**

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**- final notes -**  
Originally the idea was simple: write a story that spans only eleven minutes, with a chapter per minute. First I was thinking a cute little PWP with someone & Otogi in the bathroom – an honor that Jou and Honda seemed to fight over, lol – while a third party watched football (ha, anyone else hearing "TOUCHDOWN!" jokes in their head?), but the more I considered what to do, the angst-ier it became. 

So... I think I figured out what the story was _really_ about... lol, pretty bad, that I'm not even sure until I finish it. Any theories out there? Just curious. 


End file.
